Applying For A UK Standard Visitor Visa? 

What is a UK Standard Visitor Visa and who needs one to visit the UK?

The new UK Standard Visitor Visa has replaced all of the following UK Visitor Visas to simplify the application process:

• Family Visitor visa
• General Visitor visa
• Child Visitor visa
• Business Visitor visa, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists
• Sports Visitor visa
• Entertainer Visitor visa
• Prospective Entrepreneur visa
• Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa
• Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa

From 2nd April 2020, the UK Home Office has updated the UK Visitor Visa rules to allow UK Visitor Visa applications to apply from ANY visa centre around the world in a country that they are in legally in, even as a visitor. This means that you can now apply for a UK Visitor Visa in a country that you are visiting, as long as you are in that country legally, and have sufficient time left to stay in the country for your UK Visa application to be processed. Should you wish to check this update for yourself, please click the following link that will take you to Guidance ECB:05: where to apply, the policy.  

Typically, Visitors to the UK from most countries in the world will choose to apply for a UK Standard Visitor Visa in their home country or country of residence before they visit the United Kingdom (UK). The process of applying to secure your UK Visitor Visa involves you making an application to either the British Embassy or High Commission in the country which you live (or are visiting) asking for permission to travel to the UK. You should note that you can only apply for your UK Tourist visa up to 3 months before the intended date of the trip to the UK. The current processing times are around 2 – 3 weeks.

Should you submit a perfect application which is successful; the British government will stamp a paper visa vignette in your passport granting you permission to travel to the UK for a limited period. Most visitors to the UK initially apply for a six-month Standard Visitor Visa as this is the easiest Visitor Visa application to secure. The longer the period the Standard Visitor is granted for (e.g. 5-years or 10-years), the harder it is to obtain an approval. You also should note that there is not a limit on the number of UK Standard Visitor Visas you can apply for in your lifetime, and there are longer-term multiple-entry visitor visas (1 year, two years, five years and ten years) should you be required to travel to the UK frequently over many years. We have explained the difference between short-term and long-term UK Standard Visitor Visas below.

Eligibility requirements for the UK Standard Visitor Visa

The eligibility requirements for securing a short-term UK Standard Visitor Visa are as follows:

• You must show you will leave the UK at the end of your trip
• You must be able to support yourself (and any dependants applying with you) for the duration of your trip
• You must be able to pay for your return or onward journey
• You must provide proof of any business or other activities you want to do in the UK (if you are not coming to the UK for a holiday)

The eligibility requirements for securing a long-term UK Standard Visitor Visa are as follows:

• You must be able to prove that you have a frequent and ongoing need to come to the UK
• You must be able to justify that the reason why you need to come frequently to the UK is not likely to change while your UK Standard Visitor Visa is valid
• You must be able to prove that you plan on leaving the UK at the end of each visit

The UK Visitor Visa application process with our full service will be as follows: 

1. You would sign up for our service by paying our professional fee and agreeing to our Terms and Conditions. 
2. Once done, we would send you our detailed document list, document templates and everything you need to start gathering the required supporting documents. 
3. Once you have gathered all the documents needed, you would need to provide them to your UK Visitor Visa Expert for checking. 
4. Once we are happy we have received all the supporting documents we need, we will set up the online application form. 
5. Once the form has been filled out, we will submit the online application form, and use your credit/debit card to pay the government fee and the Priority Service fee (if you want the decision possible). 
6. Once we have completed the online submission process, we will be able to print off the forms you need to submit and book your appointment at the VFS or TLS Contact Visa centre in your country of residence. 
7. Should the visa centre in your country of residence be operated by TLS Contact, we will fully upload all your supporting documents onto the system, so we can guarantee the approval and ensure no mistakes are made that could lead to refusal. 
8. Should the visa centre you are attending be operated by VFS Global, you will need to take your supporting documents to the VFS centre for scanning when you have your biometrics taken. 
9. At this step, all you are required to do is attend the biometric visa centre appointment, have your digital fingerprints and photo taken, and hand them your documents and passport for the visa to be stamped in once your application has been approved. The visa centre will forward your current passport the local British Embassy or British High Commission, as they will need the passport to stamp the Entry Clearance Visa once a positive decision has been made by the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO). 
10. After a couple of weeks of processing time, you should receive an email to say that a decision has been made on your application. Please note that this is always the most stressful part of the process for our clients, as the Entry Clearance Officers (ECO’s) email will not confirm the decision, they will simply state that a decision has been made. This means that you will only find out whether the application has been successful when you go back to the visa centre and collect your passport back. Rest assured that our clients always receive an approval letter back with their passport, and your passport will contain a the Entry Clearance Visa. 
11. All you must do is ensure you arrive in the UK before the Entry Clearance Visa expires and enjoy your trip to the UK! 

As we manage each step of the process from preparing, submitting and securing on a daily basis, letting us help you with this process can give you the peace of mind on what can be a stressful experience.